Bay State Banner not dead, just gone?

Earlier this afternoon, Ashmont Media's Joyce Linehan Tweeted that the Bay State Banner, Boston's venerable Afro-centric weekly, is going out of business. But Banner publisher Melvin Miller says that, instead, the Banner is simply going to "stop publication for a couple weeks."

Why, exactly? "I'm of an age where I think it's appropriate for a younger generation to come up and start running the Banner," Miller tells the Phoenix. "That hasn't been able to materialize because of the downturn in the economy. So we just decided to generate greater interest, let's put it that way.

"For 44 years I've been running the Banner," adds Miller. "So people think I can do it from my grave."

So, just to be clear: the hope is that the Banner's cessation of publication will make possible investors get in touch?

"Absolutely, yeah," Miller replies. "If they want to step up and become part-owners of a thriving community weekly, sure, they should come up and talk to us."

Hmm. If this actually works for the Banner, maybe the Globe should consider taking a few days off....